Apparatus for treating oils



June 6, 1933. Q HUFF 1,912,640

APPARATUS FOR TREATING OILS Original Filed Oct. 18, 1923 1777522 307'."[yin (22? 6.125 52%?) Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STATES PATEN'I?OFFICE LYMAN o. err, on CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIcnOn ro UNIVERSAL OILrnonnc'rs COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF scum DAKOTAAPPARATUS FOR TREATING- OILS Application filed October 18, 1923, SerialNo. 669,251. Renewed July 8, 1929.

This invention relates to an apparatus for treating oils, and refersmore particularly to the removal of solids or substantial solids fromthe interior of a dephlegmator, expan- 5 sion chamber or still.

In the cracking of hydrocarbon Oils, it has been found thatretarding ofthe speed with which the vapors and oil flow, aids material- 1 in thereaction of the material treated.

(Tue of the mechanical means now in use is a dephlegmator provided witha series of pans arranged one above the other in alternate fashion. Inother words, the outer edge of the top pan will overlap the circularedge of 16 the pan next below so that the overflow will fall from thetop to the next, etc. This arrangement .gan be carried out throughoutthe height of the dephlegmator.

Heretofore, at the end of every few runs, 20 it has been necessary toremove the top of the dephlegmator and take out the pans for cleaningand removing any carbon, sand, salt or other foreign solid orsubstantially solid materials.

I have discovered that after the run is completed, by the introductionof steam, benzol or some such suitable solvent, these pans can becleaned without removing them from the chamber. This is accomplishedbypositioning a vertical feed pipe for the cleaning fluid in thechamber, which terminates just above the lowest pan. The opposite end ofthis pipe may be located outside and above the top and connected withthe source of supply for the cleaning agent. Small. discharge pipes ofvarying length to correspond with the position of the pans, areinterposed in this vertical feed pipe just above each pan. The

whole can be rotated through an angle of sub- 1 tached to the verticalpipe.

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross sectional view of a dephlegmator equippedwith my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional detail showing the arrangement of thevertical feed pipe and the outlets to the pans.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 1 designates a vertical dephlegmatorfor use in the cracking of hydrocarbon oils. This dephlegmator is of theusual type, having rounded stantially 360 by means of a hand wheel attopcap portion 2, which can be removed if necessary, and roundedbottomportion 13.

The bottom portion 3 terminates in a reflux drawofli' 4. The vapors areforced into the bottom of the dephlegmator, through the va-c5 por inletpipe 5. Raw oil may be introduced through the raw oil inlet pipe 6, andpressure distillate through the pipe 7, both of which may be used astemperature controlling or cooling mediums. Vapors may be drawn ofl'ithrough vapor outlet pipe 8. In the interior of the dephlegmator arepositioned a plurality of small and large imperforate pans 9 and 10 ofdifferent diameters. The pans are held in place by vertical stay rods(notc shown) in the usual manner.

Referring now to the feature of the invention, I provide a verticalfeedpipe'll for the cleaning fluid extending substantially down thecenter of the dephlegmator, which mayl' terminatejust above the lowestpan, as shown at 12. Theupper extremity of this vertical pipe 11terminates in a swivel 13. The extension 14 beyond the swivel'13 isconnected to the source of cleaning agent sn ply, such as'* steam,distillate, benzol, etc.- valve 115 is interposed in theupper portionofthe pipe for regulatin g the amount and pressure of the cleaningmaterial. T f

Connected to the pipe 11 and located above. each pan are a plurality. ofsmall outletpipes 16 and 17 of varying lengths, which may bescrew-threaded or welded into the pipe 11 as shown at 18 to facilitatetheir easy removal. The arrangement is such that a smaller pipe't 35 16will be directly above the pan 9 of smaller diameter while pipe 17 islong enough to bring itsoutlet ,overlthe pan 10. I may note here thatthe outer edges of the pans of smaller diameter overlap theinnercircumference of; 9

the pans of larger diameter. 1

'These outlet pipes 16 and 17 areadapted to be rotated through an angleofsubstantiailly 360 by means of the hand wheel 19. The stufling gland20 may be provided ail-4 jacentthe hand wheel 19.. It will be noted thatthe vapor outlet 8 terminates in a T 21, upon which the base portion ofthe stuffing gland 2O rests.

The operation is as follows: After a run isii completed the dephlegmatoris allowed to cool. Deposited on the pans there will be a certain amountof earthy matter, carbon and sludge. Steam in this instance, may beintroduced under say pounds pressure, into the pipe 11, the valve 15being open. The steam will be sprayed onto the surface of the pansthrough the outlet pipes 16 and 17, and the earthy matter depositedthereon quickly and easily removed. By rotating the hand wheel 19through an arc of slightly less than 360 and back again, the steam isforced onto the entire surface of the pans, thoroughly cleaning them andremoving the foreign matter. I have illustrated my invention using steamas the cleaning agent, but it is obvious as pointed out, that othercleaning agents can be used.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus for removing solid or semi-solid residue deposited onthe baflies of a dephlegmator used in an oil cracking system, thecombination with a main feeding means communicating with the interior ofthe dephlegmator, outlet pipes connected thereto discharging above theindividual bafiies, means for introducing a cleaning agent through thefeeding means and outlets, and means for rotating said feeding means toproject the cleaning fluid on the entire surface of the baflies.

- 2. An apparatus for removing carbonaceous deposits from the baflies ofa dephlegmating column employed in an oil cracking system comprising amain supply conduit centrally positioned within the interior of thedep'hlegmating column, a plurality of outlet pipes of varying lengthconnected to said main supply conduit arranged to discharge a cleaningfluid against the surface of each bafiie, the length of said outletpipes varying with respect to the size of the baflles associatedtherewith, and means for admitting a cleaning agent to said conduit.

3. In a dephlegmator of an oil cracking apparatus comprising a shellhaving a Vapor inlet and outlet, an inlet and outlet for liquid, and aplurality of baflles adapted to retard the passage of vaporstherethrough, the improvement which comprises in combination therewith,means for introducing a cleaning fluid to the interior of saiddephlegmator, means for directing jets of said fluid against saidbaflles',-and means for moving'saiddirecting means operative from theexterior thereof to cause said jets to sweep different portions of thesurface of the baflies against which they are directed. I

LYMAN C. HUFF.

